Battle of Tu Shen - Finale
by Quirnheim
Summary: The Battle of Tu Shen begins - and two leaders clash in a duel that will see them both suffer.
1. Part 1

The legions of the Emperor's Shield marched onward, their destination being the Tu Shen road, where a group of rebel slaves had somehow managed to spirit away to. Armor clattered and clanged against the bodies of the men and women adorned with them as the collective footsteps of three hundred mogu and two dozen slaves echoed in unison. Military precision was taken even during a short march of several hours such as this. As the legions passed the entryway leading to the massive twin statues overlooking the rest of the Vale, curious onlookers from the Shrines of Two Moons and Seven Stars rushed to observe the spectacle. The Shrines were places of worship for the mogu people and many men and women often traveled there – but none expected to see such a spectacle such as this; the Emperor himself, leading his Shield into battle! The Shrine guards kept the civilians at bay, but many of them were themselves perplexed at the sight before them.

Emperor Lao-Fe paid no attention to the onlookers. In a way, it was good – he wanted his people to watch as he and his army destroyed these upstarts. It would be a good way to restore morale and confidence in the Imperial government, which had waned over the decades. It would also, of course, put fear into the massive population of slaves that supported his Empire – reminding them of their place beneath the boots of their betters. As the Jinyu who carried his chair stepped in tune to the hard pounding of his army, the Slavebinder grinned. This would be a simple battle – that would remind his enemies in the Imperial Council that he was still a powerful foe.

_Yes – this would be an excellent display. For the slaves, the people of the Empire, and his enemies._


	2. Part 2

Shu Blindeye pulled himself up to his feet, minutes after entering his meditative pose. Around him, roughly three dozen other monks were still lost deep in themselves, focusing all of their Chi inward to give them enough focus and determination to make it through the upcoming battle. Shu, however, could not focus any longer. His mind swam with anxiety of the coming battle. An hour ago, the Watertalkers had informed him that the mogu armies were converging upon Whitepedal Lake, which lay near their encampment in Tu Shen. The waters spoke of the three hundred men and women of the Emperor's Shield, the personal guard of the Emperor himself, marching hard to reach their location. As the personal guard of the Emperor was marching out of the Palace to reach them, it was clear that the Slavebinder was with them.

"No meditation?"

A voice startled Shu from his contemplation. Peering around, he found Kang off to his right, patting him on the shoulder.

"No. I...I do not know how you do it, Kang. My mind is so...scattered. This is it!"

"I know, Shu. Trust me...I know." Kang nodded, his face locked in a stone-serious frown. "Looks like House Tsao was right. The Emperor himself took our bait. I don't really know how to feel about it – I'm happy we have a chance to take the fight to that...that bastard, but the Shield? You know the stories they've told us about them, right?"

Shu nodded grimly. With House Tsao's decision to throw its support to the revolutionaries, which came as a complete shock to Shu and Kang both – they had not thought the concept of 'valorous Mogu' possible – the rebels had gained a true fighting chance. The defecting soldiers of Tsao's house provided slaves with an escape route to the Valley and Lady Naqvi, the late emperor's daughter, provided them with intelligence and strategy on how best to overcome the Imperial armies. However, House Tsao's supporters had told the slaves stories of the Shield – how their combat prowess was the best in the Empire, how fanatically loyal they were to the Emperor as an institution, not a person – their cruelty and cunning both a testament to their centuries-old unofficial titles as "kingmaker" - without the support of the Shield, an aspiring Emperor would go nowhere.

The slaves had their training, of course – the monks more so then the others, thanks to Kang. His training, largely developed by himself, had instructed hundreds of monks in the arts of Chi and the wisdom of hope – what it would do against the fear generated by the Empire. Otherwise, there were others with them – out of the force of roughly two hundred and fifty that Shu and Kang had brought with them, they had many who fought only with makeshift weapons built from farming tools. The Hozen were the exception; Ack Ick and his band had crude spears by the hundreds – but the rather foul stench that emanated from them was enough to dissuade any non-Hozen from using it.

"Either way, Kang." Shu sighed, stretching his paws out as far upward as he could. "We have one chance. It's do or die."

"We'll do it, Shu. We have to – not just for ourselves, but for any children we...might have." At this, Kang's voice choked up.

Shu knew why; a decade ago, Kang said, he had lost his cub – a son of barely ten – when he was assigned to the Serpent's Spine as punishment for Kang's supposed 'disrespect' of a visiting Imperial official. The Emperor himself had signed the transfer order, the captain in charge of his slave barracks had taunted him as saying, and the pain and anguish that he felt had lasted for years, he said. It had taken Kang realizing that the only way forward was hope – not fear – that had freed him from his shackles. The last incident before he had escaped his masters, Kang had been severely beaten for refusing to kneel for the passing Imperion of the region he labored in.

Kang had repaid the guards who beat him by killing them just before escaping.

"I know what you have been through is...something I cannot put into words, Kang." Shu placed a comforting paw upon Kang's shoulder. "But we – no, all of us – are your family now. We are your children. Think about it! Would I be able to weave in and out of combat, channeling the power of hope and wisdom and strength without you? Without you, we would all be afraid, still – pitiful cubs groveling at the feet of our masters! Now..." Shu paused, gesturing around him, "Now, we have the COURAGE to stand up. And...it is thanks to you, Kang – our father."

Kang squeezed his eyes shut, but Shu saw the two teardrops flow freely from them. "W..Without you, Shu, I'd just be a lone fighter. It was you who helped to organize our family – not my family, our family. Jinyu, Hozen, grummle – and yes, even the mogu of House Tsao – I never thought I'd say that – into a band capable of shaking the very foundations of this world."

"Kang, don't get all soft on me, now." Shu grinned, walking away from the meditating monks and towards the main encampment, where the rebels sat milling, talking, eating or preparing. "Come on. We'll both be old men chatting about this to our grandcubs – now, let's make that happen."

The pair laughed as they ambled away, arms slung around each other – the bond of best friends was unbreakable.


	3. Part 3

For the men and women of the Emperor's Shield, the raised open hand at the head of their army meant only one thing – to halt. The Emperor's word was law.

Thus, as one, the entire three hundred man army of the Shield ceased their march, their last step being a thundering echo that faded into the trees and foliage of the Vale. The soldiers stood ram-rod stiff, heads turned up in an obedient fashion, staring towards their objective impassively – the Tu Shen road. Green and gold armor glistening in the midday sun, the Shield did not move a muscle – they simply stood as statues would.

Lao-Fe lowered his hand and grinned. Yanking upon the wood plank that held the chains of his four "helpers", he stepped out of his carrying chair as the Jinyu lowered it to the ground. Handing the plank over to one of the Slavehandlers – who summarily dragged the slaves out of sight of the Emperor – he walked over to where Imperion Karhaq, the commander of the Shield, stood, eyes fixated at their target – Tu Shen.

"So, Karhaq," The Slavebinder began, walking up beside him. "Do you still feel that we cannot win now? Look out there. The mongrels dare not even come to -face- us. They cower in the hills instead." Scoffing, he looked back towards his army. "My Shield will crush these fools like orchard apples."

The Imperion bowed his head in respect. "Of course, Your Majesty. I and the Shield are ready – we will do as you will."

This brought a laugh to the Slavebinder's lips. "Ahh, Karhaq. Always so slippery. I see you eluded my question – do you still feel that I should wait? That I should 'hold out' for you to muster more soldiers?" A malicious grin filled his mouth. "Or would you care to revise your opinion?"

Karhaq shifted uncomfortably. "Your Majesty, I simply offered my suggestion as a tactician with thirty years of military experience. An overwhelming force will always crush an inferior force without the remote chance of defeat – such was the teachings of the Thunder King himself."

"Ah, but the Thunder King did not have these slaves domesticated at first as we do! They know nothing but what we tell them. The fact that they dare try to strike at our merciful hands shows that they value nothing – not even their lives."

"Which makes them a more dangerous enemy, Your Majesty. An enemy with nothing to lose will fight ever more harder then one without nothing." Karhaq returned his gaze to the hills. "I suggest caution, that is all."

"Your suggestion is appreciated, Karhaq." Lao-Fe's grin faded slightly. "But unneeded – I can already tell you that the slaves cower because they -fear- us. Fear is a useful weapon in of itself – we simply must move in and destroy their spirits. Make them beg for death at the end of our blades."

Turning to face the line of cannons being rolled to the front of the ranks, Lao-Fe nodded. "Ready the cannons!" he shouted towards the group. At once, the cracking of whips was heard as slavehandlers 'urged' their charges forward. Jinyu, Pandaren and Hozen alike rushed forward, some carrying cannonballs, others carrying fuses and gunpowder. They rushed to the front of the weapons and began to accomplish their tasks. Such was the beauty of fear, Lao-Fe mused – it causes those at the receiving end to labor that much harder and that much faster.

Within sixty seconds of issuing the order, the cannons were primed and ready, the slaves with the fuses standing obediently beside them awaiting further instruction. Karhaq marched up and down the cannon line, inspecting each as he went – ensuring that no slaves had tried to sabotage their work. Satisfied, he marched back to Lao-Fe's side with a military nod. "All is prepared, Your Majesty. We await your command."

With a nod, the Emperor walked forward slightly, edging ever closer to the hills. In a way, it was a shame to waste labor – even such rebels as these could be useful, especially as swarm season began to creep forever closer. Perhaps they would see reason now that the Emperor himself had arrived to deal with them. Yes...

"Slaves!" Lao-Fe's commanding boom echoed through the hills of Tu Shen. "This is your august Emperor, Lao-Fe. You have caused great damage to the halls and lives of your Imperial masters – but I show mercy. You have slain many of your betters and soldiers of MY Empire – but I show mercy. You rob women and children of the Empire of food and drink – but I show mercy. "

Pausing, he grinned malevolently towards the puzzled Karhaq, who had appeared at his side.

"Lay down your arms. Come out from the hills and kneel before your masters. Do this, and I assure you that your families will not be harmed. Your deaths will be quick and merciful – something that I would deny you otherwise. You face three-hundred of the Empire's finest as well as your Emperor himself. I would strongly suggest you consider my generous offer.

You have five minutes to comply – or you will find yourself begging for death at my hand, something that I will not grant – and you will find out why I am called Slavebinder. Consider your choices carefully."

"Your Majesty?!" Karhaq spoke up, his voice incredulous, as the pair walked back to the Imperial line.

"Do you honestly think I intend for them to surrender? Ha! They are too defiant to reason with – but I wanted to show them that I am not without mercy. Even if they had surrendered, they would die – as would their families. Such is the price of defiance, Karhaq. But it is important to 'save face', as the Zandalari tell me – show an enemy an open hand when the other conceals a dagger."

"Give them their five minutes. Let them cower in fear as they await their deaths."


	4. Part 4

The echo of the Emperor's 'offer' rung in the ears of the rebels. Many of them had remained silent but others had let out sharp exhales or gasps as the tyrant spoke. Shu Blindeye raised his hands in an attempt to quiet them.

"Please, my friends. We will do no such thing. We cannot allow the Mogu to cow us now. Even if the Emperor's offer was generous, we have come too far to surrender."

Many of the rebels nodded, shaking their heads confidently. Kang walked up to Shu's side, where he was joined by Watertalker Tai-She and Chieftan Ack Ick. Exhaling a sharp breath himself, Shu continued;

"Hope. This is what seperates us from the Mogu. We all know this. All of us – in our hearts, be they Pandaren or Jinyu or Hozen. The Empire wishes us to live our lives full of fear and sadness – to mindlessly labor for their benefit. And for two thousand years, my friends, we have. But no longer."

Many in the crowd shouted words of encouragement, but Shu raised his hands again and continued.

"I know little of our ancient past, of our days before enslavement. But I know this – our ancestors probably worked and lived and loved life to the fullest – laughing in the sunshine, not hiding in the shade! That is something that we must do – live our life in the sunshine! Think about it.." Shu looked from Pandaren to Hozen to Jinyu, at the hope, confidence and trust in their eyes as he once again cleared his throat and spoke.

"We have cowered in the shade of the Mogu for too long. But now, thanks to our souls, courage and the sacrifice of those who have already given everything – we have a chance to block out the shade and live in sunshine. All of you here, with me, are my family. I would die for each and every one of you – but I would rather live for you. I would rather all of us live! But there are those among us who will not live to see the sunshine ahead. We cannot hide from that fact, but rather accept it! For the minute that we realize that we fight for something more then ourselves, we transcend the Empire's ability to oppress us.

We fight for those back in the Valley, establishing a new, free life. We fight for those in the other provinces of the Empire, still toiling and suffering under the whips of the mogu. We fight for those forced to stand against the mantid upon the Serpent's Spine. We fight for the Jinyu – subject to spear fishing in some coastal communities. We fight for the Hozen, who often find themselves kept as domestic pets by the Imperial elite! We fight for the Pandaren, and the Grummle – for all of us who have been forced to build their Empire."

The crowd cheered as Shu spoke. He could not quiet them – so he simply endeavored to speak the loudest.

"We fight for today! We fight for tomorrow! We fight for the future! A future that we are building! We say no to the Mogu, and yes to freedom – the chains are broken, my brothers and sisters! We say 'no! It ends today'. Say it with me!"

"No! It ends today!" the crowd cheered.

"Again!" Shu grinned as the crowd repeated the words, turning it into a chant.

The crowd of hundreds cheered their leaders. Shu raised his fist into the air, as Kang, Ack Ick and Tai-She did the same. This would be their finest hour – not their final hour. Nothing would stop them now.

Not even the Emperor's Shield.


	5. Part 5

Lao-Fe smirked. The time period for his offer had elapsed. And as he expected, the slaves would foolishly throw themselves into the fire of Imperial might – such was the stupidity of the lesser races, the Emperor mused.

"As you can see, Karhaq. The slaves have chosen death. A pity – such courage would make them useful fodder for the Spine when the mantid strike once more." A mocking frown crossed his features before the Slavebinder made his way over to the cannon lines.

Turning to face Karhaq, Lao-Fe nodded. "Are the cannons in position?"

Karhaq saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty. The Shield awaits your command to charge."

"Good. All is as it should be, then." Raising his hand high into the air, Lao-Fe brought it down sharply. "Cannons, fire when ready!"

The sounds of lighting fuses, followed seconds later by near-deafening booms echoed through the army's ears as the slaves quickly began the bombardment, watched by their handlers, who did not hesitate to whip a slave who was moving too slowly or hesitating.

Satisfaction crossed the Emperor's face as he watched the explosions impact the road. Hopefully, those explosions would remove a few dozen slaves from the slaughter – it would certainly make his army's task much easier. Karhaq, however, wore a grim expression as he stood watching the cannon-fire touch down. His toned, bearded face betrayed no emotion, but the Emperor could sense it – his Imperion was still feeling anxiety over the coming battle._ Perhaps he was weak? If not in body, in mind, then._ After this petty rebellion was over, Lao-Fe would have to...re-evaluate the uses Karhaq had to him.

"Enough of the show, Karhaq." Lao-Fe strode out to the centre of the field, standing before his army. "Soldiers of the Empire!" he bellowed, raising his spear aloft. "Prepare to charge on my command!"

At once, the Shield shifted into combat stance – spears being lowered to the front of the ranks, swords and shields being raised and held high. Archers, small in number but still important, notched their arrows and took aim at the road.

"SLAUGHTER THEM ALL! CHARGE!" Lao-Fe roared as he suddenly darted towards Tu Shen, his army letting loose with a flurry of roars and battle cries as they followed. The euphoria flowed in the Emperor's mind as he rushed towards the slaves. It had been a long time since he had tasted real battle – _slaughtering slaves was one thing, but slaves who had managed to reach the heart of his Empire? They would at least pose a challenge._ Keeping one's combat skills refined was an important aspect of Imperial culture, and Lao-Fe would not be outdone by any of his troops. It was why he was the first to charge – and why he would not leave the field until every rebel was dead at his feet.

Shu Blindeye and his army lept from the road, the dozens of monks and assorted Jinyu, Pandaren and Hozen warriors rushing to the bottom of the road to meet the advancing armies of the Slavebinder. Above, in the tall pillars that reached high above the road, most of Ack Ick's Hozen hid, their spears flinging out from the outgrowth every so often towards the Imperial ranks. The Watertalkers were safely back in the small pool of the road towards the mountains, ready to unleash their might upon the mogu when they reached the upper tier.

As the first ranks of the Mogu armies crashed into the defenders, Shu leapt into the chest of an attacking soldier, aiming his right paw in a chopping motion, focusing with all of his emotions and training – and connecting with the man's neck, which cracked like a sand pear, causing him to drop dead before his spear even could rise in defense.

Elsewhere, the Mogu were fighting hard – their spears, swords and shields thrust, parried and blocked various attacks, from either his fellow monks or those armed with farming tools. Mogu archers peppered the skies above Tu Shen, and Shu saw a few of Ack Ick's Hozen fall from their hiding spots, struck down by arrows. Looking about, Shu saw Kang in the midst of battle – he had dispatched two Mogu already, and was rapidly advancing toward a third. Watching as his mentor – and master, actually – brought himself into a roll, he launched himself through the startled soldier's legs, before righting himself and spinning into a kick – the Rising Sun Kick, as he had called it – which caused the soldier to blast forward into the rock-face, likely dead from the impact.

Slowly but surely, the Mogu armies had pushed past the first wave and a few had advanced up the road, where the second wave of monks and rebels had risen to meet them. Rushing back up through the chaotic melee, Shu focused his Chi into himself before launching off his toes, spinning forward in a zephyr of energy. Before long, he connected with the backside of a Mogu soldier, who cried in pain when he smashed into her. Not giving the woman a chance to recover, Shu leapt upon her back and grasped her head as she frantically tried to recover – before twisting with all his might and breaking her neck with a grotesque snap. Shu did not have time to think before the roaring cry of a Mogu soldier interrupted his silence, the man's spear swinging towards him.

Thankfully, the Mogu were as slow as they were ineffective against positive energy. Shu easily dodged under the swing, rolling forward and stopping just before the man's legs, which he kicked at, causing the soldier to fall forward, and onto Shu – well, if Shu wasn't as fast as he was. Rolling sideways, Shu then held out his right hand and pushed himself as hard as he could – Chi Bursts, as Kang called them, were very hard to muster, but under the right circumstances of high energy and high intensity, they could prove powerful. Eventually, he felt the coalescing of the power in his hand and let it go, blasting at the soldier as he struggled to his feet.

As Lao-Fe parried the attack of a Jinyu with a modified rake, he leapt at the fish-man, smashing him in his throat with Tonku's handle, causing him to fall backwards. Not leaving him any breathing room, he swiftly impaled the rebel with his spear. The satisfying sound of the cry of death invigorated the Emperor, and he roared with triumph as he advanced forward.

Looking about, his army had pushed the rebels back up the road and were gaining ground with each passing minute – This would be all over soon. As he cut down a careless Pandaren who rolled instead of dodged, he could not help but notice the rather athletic fighting style of the Pandaren in particular. They rolled , dodged and moved quite fast – which was proving to be somewhat problematic for his soldiers due to their large frames. _No matter,_ he thought – it would _be a simple case of _-

All of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud cry, followed by the impact of an Imperial soldier hitting the ground in front of him, dead. Blinking in surprise, the Emperor peered up – the man had been knocked off the second level by someone. Narrowing his eyes, he smirked.

_Someone very powerful. Someone I must find. _

Imperion Karhaq had proved right. These slaves were strong.

As the Emperor's Shield commander blocked another flurry of attacks from a female Pandaren, he peered about desperately. The Emperor had simply run off without an escort – the fool! He had tried to warn him, after all.

Holding his shield tightly, he pushed his weight into it and managed to overpower the woman's attacks, sending her falling backwards – and not giving her a chance to recover before he buried his axe in her skull. As he wiped brain matter from his weapon, he saw more and more of his soldiers falling to these slaves – a fair number of the slaves lay dead, surely, but the fact that so many of his soldiers, the elite of the Empire, the chosen of the clans themselves – had died at their hands was both troubling and disgraceful.

_No time for mourning,_ Karhaq thought. _I must find the Emperor – now. _

Shu's fist connected with the attacking soldier's face – again and again. The flurry of attacks caused his attacker to fall backwards, screaming in agony. Pressing his attack, Shu leapt upon the man's chest and drove his foot into his neck, crushing his windpipe.

Quickly riposting off the corpse, he found himself face to face with Kang – who was grinning widely.

"How many do you have, Shu?!" he roared, his voice full of euphoria. His paws were as bloody as Shu's, if not more.

"This isn't a game, Kang!" Shu cried over the chaos of the battle. "We need to find Lao-Fe and focus on him!" Finding the Emperor was the only reason that they were here, after all – he had seen the Slavebinder himself leading the charge against the rebel ranks, but it was the matter of finding him now – surely, he would have a large escort that they would need to fight through. It would make the battle that much harder.

"I know that!" Kang grimaced, wiping blood off on the ground. "We have to enjoy the combat, though – come on! Freedom!"

"We're taking heavy losses! The Shield's almost reached the Watertalkers! If Tal-She isn't ready..."

"Relax, Shu! We'll be fine. We've worn them down enough that we can pick out the Slavebinder." Kang grinned, before rushing off towards a group of attacking Mogu who were trying to pick off a few Hozen warriors.

Shu sighed and turned about – in front of him came charging two Mogu warriors, one with a spear and another with a sword and shield. The spear carrying one attacked first – she swung several fast – 'fast', by mogu standards was still abysmally slow – attacks toward him, which he managed to roll out of with ease, before he ran to the side of the pair, who tried to follow him, looks of confusion upon their faces.

It was then that Shu revealed his plan. In his place stood a translucent, shimmering copy of himself. As he stopped and began to run again, another copy appeared. The two Mogu exchanged puzzled glances before they tried to follow Shu a third time – but this time, he stopped in front of them.

"The power of Chi is more then you can ever know." He repeated to them blankly, before his two "copies" blasted his Chi reserves at them, causing them to be sent flying backwards down the road several yards, at least.

Kang had taught this to him and no one else – it was possible, with the power of Chi and incredible training – which he had undertaken at the Peak of Serenity alongside the other monks – to summon "copies" of pure Chi energy, which would unleash themselves upon foes with devastating effects. However, it had a drawback – it exhausted Shu's stores of Chi, causing him to drop to one knee and close his eyes tightly.

_Remember Kang's teachings, _he told himself as he willed the power of hope, wisdom and courage from his comrades to coalesce inside him.

_We are all united by Chi. All of us. _

_ Call on the energy of others – we will use each others energy for power and for healing. We are stronger as a team, not as an individual. _

A bright bronze light appeared around Shu as he did so, but no one seemed to notice – the battle was raging all around him. As he focused, he felt his energy begin to recover – a distant hum, at first, but then a roar – like the waves of a tidal storm crashing in his ear. Rejuvenated, Shu stood up and rushed off to join his team. He had to give back to them – as much of himself as he could.

Lao-Fe sent a blast of electric energy towards the pair of Pandaren who rolled toward him. The energy connected with their forms, causing them to stop, mid roll, and begin to thrash in pain. Laughing with glee, he bent his hand down – and they knelt. This was the power of an Emperor that he wielded – and why he was called the Slavebinder.

"KNEEL, FOOLS!" he roared, before stepping over to their prone, kneeling forms and decapitating both with Tonku. All around him, his personal guard of a half-dozen soldiers stood in a square, protecting him. Karhaq had found Lao-Fe and assigned a guard for him – in case of harm, he had said.

"As if any harm will come to me!" Lao-Fe yelled aloud. "I am the Emperor! I AM IN CONTROL!" Roaring with malice, he leapt forward, severing the arm of an attacking Jinyu before sweeping backwards and eviscerating the fish-man where he stood.

His guard followed close behind him, using their shields to beat away or injure attacking slaves and Hozen spears. Karhaq had dashed away after giving him his guard – probably wanted to get himself as much glory as possible, Lao-Fe thought – but he cared not at this moment. He felt alive – gone was the useless drudgery of Imperial politics – now he was Lao-Fe the warrior, not Lao-Fe the Emperor.

_ This must be what the Thunder King felt like when he was unifying the Empire so long ago – such glorious warfare! I am truly His successor! The Thunder King himself would respect my power and strength! All will soon see my glory! _

Roaring, he blasted a wave of energy towards several Hozen that kept jumping from the high rise platforms. Two of the beasts were hit by his lightning and fell to their deaths. The rest ooked and chattered before fleeing towards the back of the road.

Laughing gleefully, the euphoria of battle drove him. These slaves were nothing – they had always been nothing and would remain nothing. HE would remind them of their place – even if rivers of blood needed to be shed.

As Shu leapt back onto the top rise of the road, he saw several Imperial soldiers charging towards the Watertalkers. As he rushed to intercept them, they were suddenly encased in large bubbles – which began to rise up into the air as the soldiers roared in fright. As Shu watched, they rose – and almost faded from his view – before the soldiers came crashing back to earth, their corpses making visible dents in the road and rock where they fell.

"Praise the Tiger! You've done it, Watertalker!" Shu roared towards the half-dozen Jinyu immersed in the small pool at the back of the road. Tal-She, the slender and red one of the group, nodded towards him and smiled.

This gave Shu newfound hope. His rebels had suffered many dead, and had given up most of the lower sections of the road to the Imperials – but as he looked about, studying the battle, he saw that many of theirs had fallen as well – both sides were losing soldiers rapidly. The difference was that the Emperor's Shield numbered truly in the thousands, while his rebels, at least here in the Vale, numbered some two hundred and fifty.

Leaping from his observation post, Shu landed with a crashing blast of Chi which knocked several Mogu back down the road's third-tier ramp, crashing back into each other in a heap of armor and blue to green skin.

Despite his rejuvenated Chi energy, Shu knew that they needed to find Lao-Fe now.

_Come out, Slavebinder...wherever you hide. _


	6. Part 6

As his spear impaled it's way through the attacking Pandaren, Lao-Fe rushed up onto the third tier of the road. Pulling his spear free of the now-dead slave, he roared and peered about madly, finding the road eerily empty aside from the corpses of Mogu warriors and slaves alike.

His guard retinue was still down below, fighting an ambush of some half-dozen Pandaren and Jinyu who had rushed them while they advanced. Part of him wanted to go back and fight the others off with his guards, but Lao-Fe had a feeling that he was nearing victory. Something compelled him forward.

Spotting a small cave opening ahead, he rushed for it, grinning widely. Whoever waited inside was a fool – and an easily slaughtered one, at that.

Peering inside, he found nothing but a destroyed Imperial shrine – the statue that once sat in the cave had been knocked over and its pieces scattered about. Edging into the cave as far as he could, he found nothing.

No one was here. Peering around, he struggled to understand what was happening. There should be someone here, damn it! Everything in him pointed to this cave – that someone or something was here, that would bring the end of this pathetic rebellion.

"So you have come, Slavebinder."

A voice interrupted his panicked mind. Spinning around to the cave entrance, he found a lone Pandaren standing there – wearing a plain brown shirt and slacks. The man was missing his right eye and his paws were stained with dried blood.

"Have you come to die too, slave?" Lao-Fe grinned, raising Tonku in front of him.

"I am Shu Blindeye." the Pandaren nodded towards him, as he walked into the cave. "These people are my family. You harm my family."

Laughing, Lao-Fe regarded "Blindeye". "You lead these pathetic rabble? You, a one eyed delusional fool?!"

Shu simply smiled. "Who is more foolish here, Your Majesty. The fool – or the fool who follows him?"

Roaring with anger, Lao-Fe charged at Shu, Tonku raised up high, going for the kill.

Shu's plan had worked. He had managed to anger the Emperor – which was just what he wanted. The Mogu were emotional beings, already – but an angry Mogu was also a careless and clumsy one, too. This fight would begin on his terms – Lao-Fe's anger and rage against his hope, wisdom and strength.

Shu rolled forward, dodging the first swing from the Emperor's spear. Before he could re-adjust his stance, however, he felt the Emperor's weapon cleaving for him again – and again. The Emperor swung wildly in an attempt to hit him – and each time, the weapon sang its death song dangerously close to Shu's ear.

Rolling up the side railing of the room, Shu leapt for the Emperor, aiming his foot in a kick. The kick connected with the Emperor's shoulder armor, as he managed to turn away in time. The pain radiated through Shu's foot as he began to fall, but his Chi caught him as he rolled to the ground, standing in a combat stance. The pain was only physical – what was important was keeping his emotions positive. Negative emotions would drain his Chi and leave him open to attack even more.

Lao-Fe smirked towards Shu before backing up and blasting a jolt of electricity toward him. Shu quickly pushed himself off the railing nearest him with all his might towards the other side of the room and managed to avoid the blast. Not even stopping, he quickly kicked off the edge of the cave and aimed for Lao-Fe's exposed midriff, where his foot connected. The kick caused the Emperor to fall backwards, grunting in pain as his free hand grasped at his ribs, his face a mixture of anger and surprise.

"HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME, FOOL?!" the Emperor roared with rage, rushing forward and cleaving towards Shu several times. Shu dodged the assaults fairly easily, but he felt his stamina begin to wane. The Emperor was much faster then other Mogu. This would not be a simple fight, alas.

Rushing in, Shu managed to get in behind Lao-Fe's weapon for a split second, in which he connected two punches to the Emperor's upper chest, managing to smash through the armor on the second hit. As the Emperor fell backwards in pain, he followed up his assault with a Rising Sun kick – if timed right, the attack had the potential to shear plates of armor off bodies.

Thankfully, Shu's attack did just that. A large strip of the Emperor's plate peeled away with his foot as Lao-Fe landed on the ground. Getting to his feet quickly, the Emperor looked down at his now exposed chest, eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Surprised, Your Majesty?" Shu smiled, nodding his head towards the now sheared section of his armor on the ground.

"You – you are strong, Blindeye. I will grant you this." Lao-Fe seethed. "Give up this petty crusade, and you could come work for me. I could use an assassin such as yourself to remove my enemies. You would live comfortably and at my will – no more slave duties for you. You would be a god amongst your...lesser race." he sneered, grinning at him.

"I would much rather fall here then join you, Your Majesty." Shu retorted, his hands raising as he dashed towards him once more. Much to his surprise, Shu was stopped by the foot of the Emperor – who had managed a snap kick of his own to Shu's head. The kick sent him flying backwards into the cave wall, which caused some pain to radiate from his shoulders and his head to spin momentarily.

"I do not need Tonku to destroy you, Blindeye." The clatter of Lao-Fe's spear echoed through the cavern. "I was trained in unarmed arts also. Not as yours, mind you – but in arts far superior. Shall we...test wits, then? The slave art versus the proven Imperial art?"

Grinning, Lao-Fe leapt towards Shu, his fists aiming for his torso. Quickly, his paws shot out and deflected most of the blows, save one which impacted on his side, causing him to recoil off to the side – giving the Emperor time to press his attack, which he tried, in the form of a blast of his unnatural power – this time, the blast did not connect to Shu's body, but destroyed a small section of rock where he once lay. Shu rolled back to his feet and leapt towards the Emperor once more. The Emperor used his legs to parry several strikes from Shu's legs, while Shu used his arms to land a strike to Lao-Fe's chest, which seemed not to phase him as he continued to block Shu's assault.

The Emperor launched an assault of his own, where he swept his leg for Shu's, which caused Shu to leap into the air – where the Slavebinder blasted him full-force in the chest with his energy blast.

The pain was intense – as if a thousand knives were being driven into his flesh – and Shu fell backward onto the cave floor hard, his whole body aching with pain. His vision swam with stars as he saw the Emperor reach to the floor – presumably for Tonku.

"A valiant effort." Lao-Fe mocked. "But futile in the end. Goodbye, Blindeye – your name will not be remembered."

Shu knew he had one chance. One moment. This next second would determine the fate of the entire revolution – he knew that he had to live. As much as Kang was a good fighter and a strong commander, he knew that he had to lead – he was the heart of this movement just as much as Kang was its fist.

Focusing inward, he felt as though time had stopped as he drew on everything within him – digging as deep as he could, scraping to the core of himself. Pulling everything, even the positive energy from the battle itself – to his body, he had to decide where to channel it. His fists? Too slow. His feet? Too unproven.

He didn't decide in the end. The Chi decided for him – and let out an explosion of energy as loud as the cannon fire had earlier.

The force of the blast sent Lao-Fe smashing against the far side of the cave wall, collapsing in a heap. Tonku lay shattered into two pieces off to Shu's side, and the Emperor looked – much to Shu's surprise – pathetic, laying against the wall, his face and hair marred with blood, armor cracked and broken by the explosion.

"N-no..." Lao-Fe's moans echoed in Shu's ears. "I...I am your Emperor!" he cried weakly, blood spitting out of his mouth with saliva as he spoke. "I...I cannot die!"

Looking down at him, Shu smiled. A part of him wanted to leave the monster like this – to die slowly and painfully. But, he knew that result would show that he was just like them – cruel. He would not be cruel.

_I will grant you the swift death that you have denied so many others. _

Stepping over to the Emperor, Shu knelt on his groin and upper leg areas as he reached for his head. Lao-Fe cried weakly, trying to raise his now broken arms, but his protests were in vain.

Swiftly, Shu twisted the man's head as fast as he could to one side – and with a final snap, Lao-Fe's protests ceased – as did his body's movements.

"It...it is over." Shu breathed, sighing.

The Emperor was dead. The Emperor – dead at the hands of the rebels. Nothing such as this had ever been done before. Shaking his head in disbelief, Shu felt the pain in his body beginning to return. He knew that at least one of his ribs was broken – but he did not care. Not in this moment.

His soul cried out in triumph. The land sang in his head – the tyrant had been deposed. The fall of the Empire had begun.

Shu stood up and looked at Lao-Fe's broken body one last time before he turned and staggered out of the cavern. Looking about, he saw that his people had gathered at the edges of the road and were cheering – looking towards the road that lead towards the Mogu'Shan palace, he saw dozens of Imperial soldiers retreating back towards the Palace gates.

They had won.

"SHU!" Kang roared, coming up behind him. He had obviously seen Lao-Fe's dead body inside the cave, as tears flowed from his face.

"You did it!" Kang embraced him in a ginger hug, noting his condition.

"We...we did it, Kang." Shu mouthed weakly, the pain beginning to overwhelm him once more.

"Relax, my friend." Kang took ahold of him by the arms. "Can I get some help here?!" He yelled, as two Jinyu rushed over to his side and took Shu by the arms, supporting him.

"How...did we do?" Shu coughed weakly.

"Wonderfully. The survivors are running back to the Palace as we speak. I'm just trying to account for the others. We broke their lines on the second tier and those on the bottom turned tail and ran! It was almost comical."

"We be grookin' the Emperor!"

A Hozen voice piped up as Shu saw a grey-furred warior leap next to Kang. "Shoe, you be doin' great things here. We be singin' bout you in our jib homes forevers."

"Who...who are you?" Shu inquired.

"I be Ack Ack." the warrior bowed slightly.

"Where is Ack Ick?" Kang raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Ah. Ack Ick be grooked by the Imperial dookers. Ack Ack be takin' over the hozen now."

Shu nodded. He knew that many would fall – but Ack Ick's loss was a powerful one. The Hozen, for all of his quirks, was brave, headstrong and fearless – he faced his end with courage, Shu knew.

"Relax, Shu. Let's get you some rest – Tal-She and the others've set up camp on the upper tier. We can rest here for the night before heading back for the Vale."

Shu nodded to himself, smiling before he collapsed into unconsciousness.


	7. Epilogue

The next morning – after having his wounds tended as much as he could – Shu saw the strongest survivors of his rebels dig two massive graves. One was for the mogu dead, including the Emperor, and another was for the rebel dead, including Ack Ick. While mass graves were distasteful to Shu, he knew that given the circumstances, his fallen friends would understand. As for the Mogu, well – he didn't care what they thought, at this point.

Following the burial of the graves, the surviving rebels – after taking a count, numbered one hundred and five – set out rapelling down into the Valley. Shu was supported by Kang and another Pandaren who's name he did not know.

As the rebels lowered themselves in silence, they all felt a renewed sense of hope. The Emperor's death would spread to the rest of the Empire, and the brothers and sisters still shackled in other parts of the Empire would hear it too. After they returned to the Valley, Shu needed to talk to House Tsao – the mogu who had sworn loyalty to the rebellion – about spreading the cause of the Emperor's death as far as they could – he wanted all Mogu to know that a slave army had cut down their monarch.

It was the dawning of a new era. Shu smiled – there was still much to do, but the task of revolution seemed to be much easier now.


End file.
